The Samurai's Neko
by Anime-Lewry
Summary: Kurea Shiro is a neko of the Black Order. Being under General Tiedoll's leadership, she has the misfortune, or in her case, the luck, of meeting Yu Kanda. Will her charm and mystique pique the samurai's interest, or will he give her the same cold shoulder as the rest of the world? **This is my first story, and the rating will change as I get further into the story**
1. Chapter 1

Tears stung at the edges of her eyes as she collapsed to the ground, taking his body into her arms. The black stars had stretched from the back of his neck up onto his right cheek, showing how fast the infection was spreading, how fast he was dying. His eyes locked with hers, the pain evident in them, his hand lifting shakily to cup her cheek, wiping away the tears that had escaped.

"Hey, don't cry, it doesn't suit you. I'm sorry I couldn't be here longer, but that's the life of an exorcist. I wouldn't have been able to live if it had been you. I… Love..." He said, his voice raspy, breaths labored. He smiled, sorrow filling his every feature, the stars now a large black mass slowly eating away at his body, turning him to dust.

"No! I need you." Kurea choked out, her tears rushing from her eyes, blurring her vision. She blinked them away, pulling his now cold body towards her chest, burying her face into his neck. "Don't go." She whispered, but knew it was to no avail, it fell on deaf ears. He was gone.

A hand landed on her shoulder, startling the neko. She had forgotten that there were others, that they had not been alone. Kurea turned to the General, grasping Xavier's body tight, unwilling to let go. She could see the sadness in his face as well, how his usual happy voice was deep and doleful when the old man spoke two small words, "I'm sorry."

Tiedoll looked down at the pair. He knelt, taking the decaying body from her as she begrudgingly let the boy she loved go, and brought him into the nearby cabin that they had been staying in, ashes falling from the limp body as he carried him. Soon there would be nothing but a pile of smoke and dust left, the only sign that the skilled archer had ever existed.

Taking this moment of solitude, Kurea wrapped her arms and tail around her legs, letting out heart wrenching sobs and screams that made her ears flatten, as she buried her face in her knees. She didn't know how long she stayed there, but after a while the dark clouds that had been hanging ominously over the field, opened up and cried with her. She was drenched and frigid before a warm, and rather heavy cloak was thrown over her head, making her take a deep breath and look up, wiping at her eyes.

"You're going to catch a cold like that, idiot." Kanda mumbled, although his insult lacked his usual bitterness. She looked at his face, noticing how his usually cold and stern expression was softer, replaced with one akin to remorse and empathy. It slightly dawned on her somewhere in the back of her mind that he too had lost someone he had been very close to, and would know how she feels.

She quickly stood up, aware of how dry and sore her throat was, which was the complete opposite to the rest of the neko, and nodded to him, wrapping the article of clothing closer to her as a gust of wind reminded her of how drenched she was. Kurea had taken a step closer to the cabin before Kanda's hand on her shoulder stopped her, making her turn back to him. She had almost made it full turn when his arms enveloped her into a warm, strong hug. Kurea stood, shocked at this contact with him, knowing how the samurai was never one for touchy-feely type moments.

He placed his forehead on her shoulder, leaning in to her ear. "If you tell anyone, I will deny everything." His cool voice said, as he started to pull away. Kurea, not wanting the hug to end too soon, grabbed at the edge of his coat, pulling him back in again, burying her face in his chest, allowing her to notice how sopping wet he was too.

"Thank you." She managed to squeak out, her lips cracked, even in the torrents of rain that had them both soaked to the bone. His arms came back around, resting on her waist and his chin on top of her head. They stood like that for a few more minutes before a series of shudders through her body, as well as two streaks of lightning, made Kanda break the hug again, forcing her inside with a slightly forceful push on her back in the direction of the cabin. She moved at a sluggish pace, her boots sinking slightly in the muddy field.

When they entered the cabin, Daisya turned to look at them momentarily, smirking slightly when he saw how wet Kanda was, but quickly frowned when he saw the sad, sick look on Kurea's face. Marie turned his head slightly towards the source of the noise, mumbling a quiet 'welcome back' before rushing off into Tiedoll's room in the rear of the cabin.

"Hey are you okay? You guys are soaked!" Daisya commented, attempting to make the mood lighter. Kurea gave a slight nod, her voice in no shape to respond, heading off to her room to rid herself of her drenched clothing. The two men watched her leave, Daisya turning back to Kanda once her door was closed. "So, why are you late?" He asked in a teasing, suggestive tone, wagging his eyebrows at the samurai. He knew what was going on, but wasn't going to waste a moment to tease his blue haired friend.

"I ran into akuma too, you idiot! I was still fighting one when it started to rain." He glared, his hand reaching over to unsheathe Mugen. He kept a blank face, but something was a little off in his tone, making Daisya suspicious.

"Whatever you say." He replied, dropping the subject, knowing that his friend may actually slice him in half if he were to press further. Laying back down on the couch, he picked up his game and resuming it from where he had paused it when the duo had entered. The bluenette stormed off, slamming his door shut, leaving the soccer player alone in the living room.


	2. Chapter 2

Kurea shuddered as Kanda's door shutting reverberated through the whole building. She was pulling off her exorcist jacket when the idea to take a warm shower filled her clouded mind. Peeling off the rest of her wet clothing, Kurea wrapped herself in a towel, operating on a mental auto pilot as she grabbed her necessities and opened the door, peeking out into the small hallway.

She could vaguely hear Daisya playing his video game, but other than that there was nothing. Retreating back into her room for one more second, Kurea grabbed her music player and speakers, heading down the hall to the bathroom. Before she went in, Kurea too a quick glance at the door adjacent to the one she was about to enter, which had cracks and dents in it from so many slams and punches to it. There was no sound coming from the room, but she could sense that the samurai was still in there.

Kurea stepped onto the tiled floor, the cold assaulting her feet. Shutting the door and dropping her towel, she plugged in her speakers, turning on the music to a loud, but not overbearing sound. The first play list that popped up was one that consisted of many different genres of music. She picked the first song that she felt was right, the sound of a piano and English voices filled the small space. Setting down the small music player on the tiny vanity, Kurea snuck a look at the mirror to her right, hanging over a small sink, which had a counter littered with different hairbrushes and toothbrushes for the group of five, well, now four.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and rimmed with red from her time crying. Her once, bright, bouncy, turquoise hair, was flat, and more of an aquamarine color, and plastered to her round face. Kurea could see cuts and fresh bruises littering her body, nothing too drastic or major, but wounds all the same. Much of the blood had washed away in the rain, but in some places she could still see some crimson dried on her skin. A light shiver passed through her body as she stepped back from the horrendous sight in front of her, and ran into the chilly wall behind her.

Shaking her head, which made some of her hair sway, sticking to other parts of her body, Kurea avoided looking at the mirror as she got ready for her shower. Stepping into the porcelain tub, she turned on the hot water tap, letting the scalding droplets cascade down her back. Kurea left the cold tap off, feeling the need to warm up more important than actually bathing at the moment. Her skin turned red, the water a lot hotter than her frozen skin could tell. Sticking her head under the faucet, she let her hair flow over her shoulders and down her back.

She felt numb as her cold body slowly absorbed the heat of the water, steam filling the small room rapidly. Kurea stood there for what seemed like hours, her body heat, as well as mind coming back to her, making the world spin. She sat down, placing her head between her knees, nausea bubbling up in her stomach as she started to cry. Sorrow flowed through her as images of Xavier filled her muddled mind. Moments when he was smiling and laughing. The time when he had first came to their orphanage, all small and shy. The scene changed to the day he found the bow and arrow in the forest behind the house, how it had glowed and seemed to choose him. This had been a shock to the two eight year olds at the time, but looking back now, she finally understands what had really happened.

The next image was of them and General Tiedoll, and when he told them of their uniqueness. Kurea saw a few more snippets, some of missions they had been on, others of just his bright face, framed by his oddly colored purple hair. The last one that she saw was his shocked face as he was hit by akuma bullets. She remembered how so many emotions had flooded her head as she ran to the fallen boy, battling anything that got in her way.

Kurea gasped as she opened her eyes, water spilling over her face. Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to block out the sad images. Then neko started to hyperventilate, feeling like she was being suffocated by the onslaught of the water and overpowering emotions that were re emerging.

"I'm sorry. I'm so…so…so…sor-," She whispered to no one, choking on the last line. The music drowned out many of her hiccups and mindless apologies as her tears mixed with the cooling water.

As the track switched over, a popular J-Pop tune filling the room now, familiar lyrics falling on her ears, Kurea could hear Kanda's door opening and closing, bringing her back to reality. She stood slowly, rubbing away some of the tears that were still streaming down her face. Shuddering as a jet of ice water soaked her further, Kurea quickly washed her hair, turning off the now frigid water.

Climbing out of the tub, Kurea wrapped the towel securely around herself, pulling another one off the rack to dry her cold hair. Leaving her speakers and her music player, which was now turned off, the auto tuned male voice fading away, Kurea stepped out into the hallway, only to collapse for the second time in a few hours, in front of a slightly shocked blue-haired figure. Her body shook in slight spasms as she heard him approach her, his footsteps making the floor shake lightly with their thudding.

"Hey! Kurea!" Kanda shouted, setting down his cup of tea, kneeling down next to her, placing his hand on the back of her neck, bringing her head up so he could feel her forehead. "Baka! What are you doing? You're burning up." At the touch of his warm hands, the shivering subsided as he carried her bridal style into his room, the door having been left slightly ajar from when he previously had exited to make the aforementioned cup. Kicking at the open door, Kanda was able to enter with ease, carrying the limp body into his room, which was a few degrees warmer than the hallway. When he reached the foot of his bed, the samurai looked down at the small woman in his arms, noticing both her state of undress, as well as her slightly comatose state.

The world was going in and out of focus, making Kurea close her eyes, unconsciousness tugging at the edges of her mind. The spinning slowed as she was placed on something soft, probably Kanda's bed, and enveloped in warmth. She pulled the thick comforter closer, letting the blackness take over, falling into a restless slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurea sighed as she looked out the tiny window of the attic. It had been raining for two days straight, and none of the other children wanted to play with her. Of course, this was no new news, most, if not all, of the children either feared her, or thought she was too weird. Not many humans wanted to play with a being that was half like them, half cat.

The neko jumped as another bolt of lightning crashed in the sky, thunder following shortly after. Letting out another disgruntled sigh, she stood up from the padded seat, walking over to the small pile of books she had on the floor. Many were small, children stories, while there were a few, well worn novels, hand-me-downs from the caretaker of the nameless orphanage, Miss Mai.

Miss Mai was a middle aged woman, somewhere in her mid to late forties, with graying hair and wrinkled skin to boot. She was the kindest person Kurea thought she would ever know, and was thankful that the woman had allowed her into her home and cared for her, even if she was a monster.

Picking up the paperback on the top, the turquoise-haired eight year old flipped through it, finding her favorite part in the book. Reading over the few pages, she soon became bored, a longing to be around other children making her put down the story. The child opened the creaky door, heading down the stairs, following the sounds of laughter.

"Oh, Kurea, have you joined us for lunch time?" Miss Mai asked, catching her as she passed through the kitchen. The child gave her a curt nod before continuing into the rather large play area.

When she entered, many stopped their playing, eyeing the new guest that had entered the room. Kurea gave a small smile, making some turn back to their work, while the few that were closest to her shied away. "Does anyone want to play?" She asked in a polite manner, knowing the answer already. When no one answered, she turned and left the room, heading to the kitchen to hang around Miss Mai, the only one in the house, besides the few cats that came and went, that didn't mind her presence.

"Is no one playing with you again?" The elderly woman asked in a disheartened manner when she heard a chair scrape against the floor, the only sound that the neko had made.

"Is it that obvious?" Came the muffled reply, as Kurea had her face in her folded arms, nose touching the table. Her ears flattened as a loud shriek of laughter filled the house, making sadness fill the child's heart.

Questions like, '_Why couldn't I be normal?_' and '_What is wrong with me?_' filled her head, making tears spring to her glassy, almost blind-like eyes. '_Is it my eyes? Or is it my likeness to a cat?_' She mentally asked herself, picking her head up when she heard the light clank of a plate on the table in front of her. The plate held a few cookies, made from Miss Mai's secret stash of baking goods that came out on special occasions.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" Kurea knew what her caregiver was talking about, but felt the need to be defiant. When a gentle hand rested on her shoulder, she looked into soft brown eyes that understood her. "I know. I just can't help it! I'm not that different, but everyone treats me like I am!"

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would mistake you for an adult. You know so much, and have encountered so much, that you are wise beyond your years. Everyone else is young, or have been sheltered for too long, and they don't understand that being different isn't a bad thing. Give them time, they will realize soon enough." Mai stood from her chair, smoothing down the top of Kurea's head as she passed her, tickling lightly behind her fluffy, black cat ears, getting more plates to set up for their lunch.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Kurea told the woman, exiting the kitchen, intending to climb up the huge staircase in the front of the house, when five loud raps on the front door made her stop at the bottom of them. Cocking her head to the side slightly, she noticed how some of the kids gathered in the doorway to her right. They were mostly the younger ones, or newer arrivals, those, like her, whom had been in the house a while found a new comer, or a possible parent not as exciting, the doubt that they would get adopted in the back of their minds.

Miss Mai came running through the hall, wiping her hands on the light blue apron wrapped around her middle, flour and other ingredients covering it. When she reached the door, she smiled, turning the brass knob and standing to the side to allow the guest to enter. A man entered, bringing with him two children, one boy and one girl.

The girl looked to be about ten at the oldest, but no younger than eight. She had pale white hair, which looked darker since it was soaked from being out in the rain, that came to about the small of her back. She held a pink suitcase, which looked like it might burst with the amount of contents in it. Her clothes were that of a middle class family, her coat rather new looking, the fabric being made from cotton. The dress that she wore underneath it was new as well, the bright white standing out against the deep brown of the jacket.

The little boy though, was hiding behind the girl, who she assumed was his sister, and was a peculiar sight himself. The boy had piqued Kurea's interest with his light purple hair. Never before had she seen someone besides herself that had oddly colored hair. His unnatural hair framed even more unnatural eyes, one being a bright, clear blue, while the other one was a dark green, reminding her of the evergreens in the backyard. He also had new clothes, and his own suitcase that was in the same state as the other girl's. The mysterious boy looked to be about Kurea's age, maybe a year or two younger due to his scrawny size.

Kurea's eyes locked with the boy's for a second, before he looked off in a skittish manner, his grip tightening on his sister's arm. "Stop it." She heard the girl murmur to the boy in a slightly stern tone, her voice sweet and very feminine.

"…Their parents passed away a few days ago in a tragic house fire, and they have no next of kin. I really hope that you can take them in. Miss Mai, there will be no other place but the streets if you are unable to take them in." Kurea heard the tail end of the conversation between the man in the suit and her caretaker, noticing the slightly dour expression on the woman's face. The girl was listening as well, looking to Miss Mai with a hopeful expression on her petite face.

"Yes, I will take them in. What's another two mouths to feed?" She joked, patting the back of the boy's head and resting her other hand on the girl's shoulder. The man thanked her and bowed, leaving the house, entering back into the downpour. "What are your names?" Miss Mai turned to the children, motioning for them to take off their coats as she awaited an answer.

"I'm Claudia Smith, and this is my little brother Xavier." The blonde replied, smiling as she whispered something to Xavier, which made him let go of her arm, a look of unease on his face.

"Welcome! We were just about to have lunch, if you would like, you may leave your belongings next to the door and I will show you to your rooms after we eat." After hanging up their jackets Miss Mai stuck her head into the playroom, calling the children who hadn't already gathered at the door to lunch. "Are you coming as well Kurea?" She asked, spotting the neko on the stairs. At hearing her name, she looked down, nodding and climbing down the stairs, making the elderly woman chuckle as she had known that the newcomers were the only reason she was going to eat lunch.

Entering the dining room, Kurea found an empty seat at the very end of the table, a good two seats away from the nearest boy or girl. Picking lightly at her bowl of ramen, made especially for her, the bluenette watched and analyzed the purple haired boy. When everyone had found a seat and calmed down, she noticed that he had started to talk to a few who were near him. Of course, his sister was seated next to him, telling him things every now and then.

Miss Mai entered from the door behind her, making her jump as she laid a hand on the top of her head. "Why don't you go say hello?" Came her soft voice, as she walked away.

As everyone ate, Kurea contemplated on how to talk to the boy without scaring him. In the end, she decided that she would follow them around to their rooms, finding no other solution. Too soon their meal ended, and it was time for the two to get settled into their rooms.

The orphanage was a rather large house, with three floors and an attic, which she resided in. The first floor held the kitchen, a play area, a small lounge area that was only ever used when someone came to adopt one of the lucky children. The main hall where the grand staircase went up from one floor to the next. There was, of course, a secret staircase, that none of the other children knew about, which went from the back of the kitchen, where most of the others weren't allowed in, all the way to the attic.

The next two floors consisted of mostly bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Miss Mai's bedroom was the first one when you got up the stairs, and four others on the second floor, as well as two of the bathrooms. Many of these rooms held four or five children, which most were the littler ones, who couldn't make the trip up another flight of stairs. Having four or five kids under the age of four wasn't too surprising in this place.

The third floor was the same, although there were two extra rooms and only one bathroom. These were the rooms where some of the older kids could get their own room, or only have to share with one or two. It was up here where the two might reside, although, there was a shortage of younger ones at the moment. Miss Mai never said no to any child at her door, if Kurea wasn't the best example, so at present, there were about twenty kids in the house, now including the two newcomers.

Then from the third floor, the staircase tapered, and became wide enough for only two, and went up to a narrow door, which led to her room. At first, when she was old enough to understand where she was, having been in Miss Mai's care since a week after birth, Kurea found that being down among the children who were scared and despised her was not a good plan. The elderly woman had tried to keep her down, giving her, her own room, at the end of the hallway, but even waking up every morning and seeing evil and dirty glares was enough for her to sleep down on the couches in the lounge.

This was around the time that she had found the hidden staircase in the kitchen, and her future bedroom. The attic hadn't been used in forever, filled with cobwebs and junk, but it looked perfect. A room all to herself where she didn't have to deal with the others. With a lot of convincing, she was able to get Miss Mai to help her clean the room, and soon enough, a bed was moved in, and the room was hers.

Climbing up the familiar stairs, she wandered behind the group that was accompanying the two to their rooms. Miss Mai turned her head slightly, noticing the neko had tagged along. The gray-haired woman stopped in front of a blue painted door on the second floor, a little sign saying the names of three little boys. Two of them were six while the other was nine, he should've been on the third floor, but has chosen to stay with his little brother in their room. There were many cases of that, twins or sets of children, either coming here due to a loss, like Xavier and Claudia, or that they had run away, usually from their parents not wanting them. After figuring out that they cannot live by themselves, many find their way to the old house, and in the care of Miss Mai.

"Xavier, this will be your room." She said, picking up the marker attached to the sign, and writing in the same fancy script, 'Xavier'. "Boys, if you would show him where to unpack and to his bed, it would be much appreciated." Were the woman's parting words before she turned to climb up the next set of stairs.

Besides Claudia, there were three girls and two boys who were over the age of ten. The boys were a set of twins, abandoned after their mother had died during childbirth, their father a faceless person, and their grandmother had died of old age when they were five. They were thirteen now, and had been inseparable since they arrived. The girls' stories were just as tragic, one of the girls' parents had died in a car crash, she was twelve, and the other two had been abandoned on the porch steps, like Kurea herself, but at an older age. One was sixteen, and the other would be eighteen shortly. Soon to be free from the house of unwanted.

Kurea had never felt hatred for Miss Mai, seeing as how she was the only adult to ever care for her, but she felt resentment for the children who were adopted, or at least got to know their parents. The neko also found some empathy for those who had been abandoned like her, but because they soon became wary of her, that empathy soon disappeared.

Kurea's eyes followed the girls as they followed Claudia, talking in their squeaky, feminine voices about this and that. As she turned to follow the boys, she noticed that many had already disappeared into the room, sensing that they wanted away from her, but found the cute little purple-haired boy standing in front of her, contemplating what he should say.

"Wh-why do you have cat ears and a tail?" Were the first words she had heard from him, smiling as his sweet voice filled her ears.

"I was born like this. I've read that I am called a neko. Hi! My name is Kurea. Please don't be scared of me." The last sentence was spoken softly, the smile still on her face.

"I'm Xavier." Came his reply before one of the other boys came back out and dragged him by his arm into the room, his protests small and quiet. "See you-" The door slammed shut behind them. Kurea sighed, looking at the closed door, hearing the chatter of the boys with her very sensitive ears.

Walking up the rest of the stairs, the neko went back to her own room, seclusion calling to her in a sweet voice. Curling up in her bed, she took out a notebook and a pencil, writing down many of the day's events, and her thoughts on the new people. It was a journal of sorts, holding many of her thoughts and doubts, as well as fantasies that she had throughout her days. Flipping through it, she noticed that she was going to need another soon, only having six pages left in the five hundred paged book.

Looking through her old entries, Kurea almost missed the quiet knock at her door. "Miss Mai, is that you?" Rolling over to look at the red door, she watched it open, revealing a head of purple, not silver hair. "Xavier…?"

"Hi." Came said boy's soft response as he entered the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Why are you all the way up here?" He asked, genuine concern and questioning in his voice.

"If you can't tell already, no one likes me here." Kurea said sharply, a grimace on her face. "I like being up away from everyone."

"Oh. But, I like you. You're a nice person. I want to be your friend." Xavier smiled, and it was the brightest thing Kurea had ever seen, almost brighter than the sun. His enthusiasm and friendliness made her return the smile, jumping up and hugging him.

"Thank you, thank you so much." The neko whispered, tears streaming down her face. Tears of happiness.

From that day on, the two were joined at the hip, making many of the other children wonder what was 'wrong' with the new boy. They played in the yard when it didn't rain, and explored the woods. Which is where their next adventure began.

The day was sunny and seemingly regular, except that deep in the woods, a strange glow came from deep within. At the same time the two children had noticed it, so had an akuma. It soon became an unknown race for the innocence, although at the time the children had no clue what it was.

When they arrived in the clearing, they found a green orb lying beneath an exposed root of a tree. Crawling through brush to get to it, Xavier found himself trapped between the tree and a level one akuma. Kurea, having never seen the beast before, sprung at it, trying to defend her friend. Her claws instinctively grew, revealing the innocence within the child, getting rid of the akuma in a small explosion.

Coughing as they were enveloped in smoke, the boy reached out and touched the orb, making it transform into a bow and sheath of arrows. Picking them up, he realized the bow was child sized, and tried to shoot one, managing to hit an akuma that was sneaking up on them.

"What is that?" Asked Kurea as she noticed the bow and arrows. Grabbing Xavier's wrist, they ran, not stopping until they had reached the backyard of the house.

"Monster!" The purple-haired boy yelled, causing many of the children to run into the house, screaming and crying. Many of the older ones followed to help calm them down, but some were still in the yard, asking the two what they were doing.

The questions stopped as two more akuma appeared in the pathway, shooting at the children. Kurea and Xavier attacked, fighting them off, just barely. At the sight of said monsters, the others had retreated inside, believing the two nine year olds. They kept fighting, get more scared by the second as they realized that more kept coming, and they were getting tired. At that moment, a man with gray hair appeared with them, getting rid of the remaining akuma with one quick blow, leaving the two to look at him in astonishment.

"Who are you?" Kurea finally asked, as the man turned toward them, a friendly smile on his face.

"General Froi Tiedoll of the Black Order. And you two?" The returning question was asked in a polite manner, and not as rude as Kurea thought it would be.

"Kurea Shiro." Came her curt reply, getting into a defensive stance, she didn't know what to think of this man.

"I'm Xavier Smith!" He had become more outspoken and less shy as time had gone on, and he no longer resembled the little scared boy that had arrived at the orphanage. He had even grown a bit, being even height with Kurea now.

"Well hi, Kurea, Xavier, I have come to retrieve innocence, but it seems I have found TWO accommodators instead. Where is your caretaker? I must speak with them at one." Tiedoll entered the house, Kurea and Xavier following behind, both of them deciding that he was a good guy.

When he met with Miss Mai, he spoke of many confusing things that the children didn't understand, but Mai did. "I knew she was special!" Was the old woman's reply when Tiedoll was done explaining.

"What's going on?" The neko finally asked, entering the lounge fully, looking at the two adults.

"You know what you are right, Kurea?" Came Miss Mai's question.

"A neko."

"No, there's more to you. Have you ever wondered why you were the only one like that?" The general cut in, his face saddening a bit when he noticed how Kurea cringed when he pointed out the question that she asks herself everyday. "You, as well as you Xavier, posses something known as innocence. Yours," he said, turning to the boy, "is an equipment type, your body bonds with the innocence, and you are able to utilize it. But you, Kurea, are parasitic, you are made of innocence, you have it within you. Let me see your hands."

Placing her hands in Tiedoll's he looked at her nails, which had gone in, but were pointed now. "See? Your nails are able to extend and retract. Have you ever red at night and found the use of a light unnecessary? Or fast reflexes and super hearing? Those are all due to your innocence, which makes you have more commonalities with cats than just your ears and tail."

"How do you know all this?" Kurea asked, talking her hands back, a confused look on her face. She was starting to believe that he knew more than he was letting on.

"Because, I'm an exorcist. I've met more of your kind Kurea. And I've come to take you, and Xavier, with me, to teach you about being one of my kind, and one day, you will be able to venture to the Black Order, and meet other exorcists." The General stooped down, becoming eye level with the two, a smile halfway hidden by his mustache on his face.

"Really? There are… More like me?" Kurea asked, her eyes welling up with tears. She would meet more of her kind, and would be able to finally understand herself. Before she could stop herself, she hugged Tiedoll, her arms squeezing so tight that she thought he couldn't breath. "Thank you. Thank you." She kept chanting it like a mantra, tears streaming down her face.

In two short hours, her whole room was packed, including all of her stories that she had collected over the years. When she stood at the door ready to leave, Xavier by her side, Miss Mai came into the hall, holding something behind her back. The neko smiled at the woman, who felt her joy as well. It had been nine years, nine years of pain and sadness for the girl, and soon she would be able to learn about who she really was.

"Kurea, oh sweetie come here. I'm so happy for you. I… I had been saving this for your birthday, but I guess I'll have to give this to you now." The elderly woman brought out a notebook from behind her, but it was more than just a notebook. It was a notebook that was the same turquoise as her hair, and on the cover, it had a spot for a picture, which was filled with her and Xavier smiling at each other. Kurea had no memory of her taking this picture, so it must've been when they weren't looking.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Kurea wrapped her arms around Miss Mai's neck, more tears welling up in her eyes. "I love it."

"There's more, look inside." She did as she was told, and inside, there were more pictures, some of her alone, and others of the two of them. Images of all eight years that she had been there. But, on the front inside cover, in Miss Mai's neat handwriting, was words that Kurea thought she'd never hear or read, '_To my dearest daughter, Kurea. Love, Miss Mai._'

"I…I….This…" Kurea was sobbing now, her face drenched in them. To this Miss Mai only nodded, understanding what she meant. A minute later Froi Tiedoll emerged from the back, having finished up all the paperwork and such. By then the neko had calmed down, and was able to say a proper goodbye, where it was the woman who was crying, not her, by the time she was out the door.

"Well kiddos, time for a new life." Tiedoll said, walking down the street, where the two followed, adventures awaiting for them. That was the last time that either would see the orphanage again.


	4. Chapter 4

As Kurea slept, Kanda sat on the floor cross legged, wondering what to do with said female. She had been asleep for almost an hour now, her face red and hot to the touch. He had put a cold cloth on her forehead, but it seemed to do nothing to quell the fever. The bluenette had informed General Tiedoll of the incident, but the man was too busy to check up on the girl, which was strange, but Kanda dismissed it, figuring that the general was busy with other affairs, and would see her when he was done. He always did, he was a good master because of that.

"You're just not having a good day today." He said to the sleeping form, knowing that she couldn't hear him. Standing up, he brushed off his legs, exiting the room to make another pot of tea, seeing as how his first cup had been ruined. When he entered the small kitchenette, Marie was sitting at the table, enjoying a glass of juice. He turned his head toward the samurai as he entered, giving him a slight nod in greeting.

"How is she doing?" The blind man asked, knowing that she was with him, but not that she had collapsed and had a raging fever.

"Che, what do I care?" Kanda sneered, grabbing the small porcelain pot off the counter, pouring water from the tap into it, setting it onto the stove, lighting it. He really hated himself for not understanding what it was about her that made him lose his control, to loosen the facade.

Marie left it at that, downing the rest of the glass and heading to the doorway after he had set the glass in the sink. "I'll be in my room if you want to talk, and you know Master will always listen." The blind male stated, and then left the room, leaving Kanda to his thoughts once again.

He scoffed at Marie's back, did they really think that he didn't know that?! He just wasn't one for talking. His team really pissed him off sometimes.

Turning back to the counter, he found another tea cup, as well as the leaves that he placed in the kettle that had started to whistle. Letting it brew a few moments longer, Kanda stood there, staring out the window at the pouring rain. It hadn't let up yet, and was coming down as hard as it had been when they had gotten caught in it. Taking the pot and cup with him, Kanda left the kitchen, returning to his own, shocked when he saw that the neko was up, and looking about, confused.

"Kanda..?" She rasped, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she let out a tiny squeak, bringing her arms up to cover her chest, making the samurai notice that by sitting up, her towel and the comforter had fallen, and that her long hair, albeit wrapped around her body, did little to cover her chest. Looking away and suppressing a blush, Kanda made sure that she was covered before he turned back around. "...Sorry." She said after a few awkward seconds, the comforter pulled up to her chin as she leaned against the headboard.

Kanda didn't respond as he carried the cup and pot all the way into the room, setting it on the desk before walking over to the side of the bed, putting his forearm on her forehead, feeling that her fever had only been slightly subdued.

"I'll be back." He stated, crossing the hall into the bathroom, rifling through the cupboard for some fever reducers. Finding what he needed, he returned, filling the cup with tea and handing both the pills and cup to the female. "Take these." He commanded.

"Thank you." Kurea mumbled, downing the pills and tea before wiping her mouth, returning the mug to the samurai. Setting the cup back onto the desk, Kanda thought of what he should do next.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Interrupting his thoughts with her soft voice, the male shrugged in response. "Would you be willing to get me some clothes?" Looking at her face for the first time since he re entered the room, Kanda could see the deep blush on her cheeks.

"I guess." He said in his cold voice, striding out of the room and across the cabin to her's, all the while wondering what he needed to grab. Stepping over the soaking wet pile on the floor in the doorway, Kanda entered the girl's room, noticing the different types of clothing strewn about. Stooping to pick up a pair of dark blue panties and spandex shorts, the samurai looked around the room for some sort of top. "The hell does she wear?! How am I supposed to know what she needs?" He spoke aloud, exasperated by the task at hand.

Picking up and tossing random clothing around the room, he managed to find a light grey bra, and a tank top. Balling the fabric up under his arm, Kanda left the room, noticing that Daisya had left the living room, and entered his room for about the fifth time in the last hour. "I found what I could." He growled, tossing the items onto the bed and closed the door, sitting down and facing it, his eyes shut as he tried to calm himself. '_This entire day has been a mess, I need to meditate,_' he thought, as he heard the rustling of fabric as the neko dressed.

"You can turn around now, thank you, again." Turning to face the female, Kanda let out a deep sigh, nodding at her as she walked over to him. "Is there anything I can do? You look a little stressed." As she got closer, he could see that her eyes were still bloodshot, and her cheeks had yet to lose the reddish-pink tint they had, either from embarrassment or the fever, Kanda couldn't tell.

"Just let me meditate." The bluenette responded, getting up and retrieving his mat from the corner across the room, setting it up in front of the window, which made him notice that it had stopped raining.

"May I join you?" Kurea asked. She didn't want to leave Kanda's side yet. Despite his cold demeanour, she found it calming to be near him. She received a 'che' as a response, and took it upon herself to plop down next to him, mimicking his pose.

They sat like that for a good ten minutes before Kurea's mind began to wander again, causing her to think of Xavier, and she found her face wet with tears shortly after. The neko made no sound as she cried, not wanting to disturb Kanda from his peace, instead choosing to sit there for another thirty minutes, eyes closed, until she felt something being draped over her shoulders. Kurea opened her eyes, noticing that her entire body was covered in goosebumps, and that she couldn't feel her legs or fingers.

"I'm such a mess, I'm so sorry." She whispered, looking at Kanda's back as he returned his mat to its corner. Looking down, she noticed that the item around her shoulders happened to be one of the male's white button downs. Sliding her arms into the sleeves, Kurea stood up, wobbling as she regained feeling in her legs.

"Would you like some tea?" Came the response to her statement as the samurai turned to face her, his features softened as he had a questioning look on his face. She nodded, giving him a small smile as he left her alone to make some. Looking out the window, Kurea noticed that it had gotten really dark, making her guess it was well into the night. Her stomach let out a loud grumble, signalling that she needed food.

Padding down the hall, Kurea walked through the dark cabin, following the light glow of some candles coming from the kitchen. Entering the room, Kurea went to the cupboard, grabbing the first four boxes of whatever looked good, which just so happened to be a box of crackers, some sort of chocolate covered fruit, pasta and chocolate chip cookies. Setting them on the counter and grabbing a pot for water, she silently walked around Kanda, who glanced at her only when she went to fill the pot with water. Setting the pot of water on the stove next to the kettle, Kurea went and sat down in a chair, bringing the cookies with her.

Sitting cross legged, she munched quietly on them as Kanda finished the cups of tea. Following suit, he sat down across from her setting the mugs in front of each of them, hunching over his as he waited for it to cool a little.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, shocking the neko. He looked at her with his serious expression, waiting for an answer.

"Like shit."

"That's to be expected."

"Well you asked, so I answered." Taking a sip of her tea, Kurea stood, putting the pasta into the boiling pot, stirring it then returning to her seat with the crackers.

"They're worried about you, you know?" Kanda continued, his voice slightly less cold as he stated this.

"And you aren't?"

"I just don't want to have to deal with more work because one exorcist died in the line of duty and the other offed herself out of grief." Kanda looked away, his eyes narrowing as he glared into space, his retorte losing some of its bite by the end of it.

"I'm not that stupid. Again, thank you, though. For everything. I somehow feel calm in your presence." Looking at him, Kurea gave him her most sincere look, even though he still refused to look at her. "Have you ever lost someone?" She inquired, taking another sip of the hot liquid.

Kanda's head snapped back, his eyes hard and cold as he looked at her. "Yes." He responded, grabbing a cracker from the box.

"Care to share? I mean, you've seen me at my lowest, I'd like to hear about yours." Leaning forward she placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers.

"It's not something worth sharing."

"C'mon." She whined.

"I said no."

Leaning back, crossing her arms across her chest she huffed. Noticing that the pasta was done, she grabbed a plate and fork, filling the plate and sitting back down. Shoving a forkful into her mouth she chewed in silence for a while, thinking of something to say to her companion.

"Fine, you're too traumatized to talk about it, I get it. Whatever. You'll tell me eventually." She smirked, a challenging look on her face.

Looking back at her with intense eyes, Kanda responded with, "I doubt it." Grabbing another cracker, he stood up, bringing his cup to the sink.

"I… I have another favor to ask for… Um…" Her stuttering made the samurai glance at her, and eyebrow raised in question.

"What?"

"C-can I stay in y-your room tonight?" Looking down at her feet as she stood, Kurea fiddled with the hem of the button down, which came to just above her knees.

"Why?" Kanda turned and faced her, his arms crossed over his chest, eyebrow still arched.

"I d-don't want to be alone." Kurea's voice weakened by the end of her sentence, tears filling her eyes once more. Squeezing her eyes shut, the neko waited for the rejection, yet she could only hear Kanda shuffling everything in the kitchen around, putting her food back into the cupboard and putting dishes in the sink before he blew out all but one candle, heading to leave the room.

When he got to the door he stopped, looked over his shoulder at the girl still standing ramrod straight in the middle of the kitchen. "Are you coming?" He asked, sighing as she looked up in shock at him.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Don't question my decision." He snapped back, leaving the room. Following quietly, Kurea finally looked at Kanda's back, her face beet red, even though he couldn't see her. She regretted asking for this big of a favor, but she couldn't bring herself to sleep by herself, she didn't want the nightmarish dreams to come back. Not yet. She hadn't slept alone in over a month, yet the person who usually filled that empty space, was gone now, and would most likely appear in these nightmares if she were to be left alone.

"I'm sorry for being such an inconvenience." Kurea mumbled, following the samurai as he delved into the darkness of his room, the small candle losing the strength of its light.

"Take the bed, I'll be on the floor." Kanda said over his shoulder, setting the small candelabra on the small night stand next to his bed, grabbing one of the two pillows on it, lying down on his side next to the bed, giving Kurea enough space to walk alongside it.

"No, this is your room, I'll sleep on the floor." She said, grabbing the other pillow, clutching it her chest as she waited for the male to get up and lay down on the bed.

"I already told you what to do, listen to me. I don't care, just take the damn bed already and go to sleep." Kanda mumbled as his face was slightly in the pillow, glaring at her from the corner of his eye.

"There's more than enough space on this full size bed, we can share it. Please, I've already troubled you enough today,and I-" Kurea's rebuttal was cut short as she saw a flash of blue, and strong arms picking her up and tossing her onto the bed, then hands on her wrists, pinning her down. Staring up with doe-like eyes, the neko was met with an intense cobalt stare, a wave of nerves clogging her throat as she stopped a shriek of terror from leaving her lips.

"Stop. Fine. I'll sleep on the damn bed, just…." Kanda snarled as he bit his tongue, letting go of the female as he bent to pick up the pillows off of the floor, Kurea's having been dropped in the fiasco.

Unable to speak, she nodded, taking the pillow from his extended hand, hugging it and turning to face the wall, curling into a ball, taking up as little of the bed as possible. Kurea felt the bed dip again as Kanda crawled in, and then the gentle wave-like motions as he tossed and turned, looking for a comfortable position.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Kanda finally settled down; choosing to lie on his back, glaring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he heard the female's breath even out, signaling that she had fallen asleep. Closing his tired eyes, Kanda followed suit.


End file.
